Onboarding Rural Area Mathematics and Physical Science Scholars

该项目将通过支持田纳西技术大学保留和毕业高成就的低收入学生来促进国家对受过良好教育的科学家、数学家、工程师和技术人员的需求。田纳西技术大学是一所吸引上坎伯兰农村地区学生的综合性机构。在为期6年的时间里，该项目将为45名攻读生物、化学、地球科学、数学或物理学士学位的全日制本科生提供奖学金。一年级学生将获得四年的奖学金支持。此外，该项目旨在通过向学者提供早期的、有针对性的和持续的学术支持，促进STEM专业和职业生涯中的学生入学、留住和成功。支持包括通过第一年的数学课、多层次的指导、定期的队列建设、本科生研究和基于职业的项目的早期学术支持。在奖学金获得者的整个任期内，将提供支持，从重新设计的一年级数学课程开始，因为这些课程的成功是留住STEM学生的一个主要因素。该项目有可能扩大来自STEM领域代表性不足群体的学生的参与，包括低收入和农村学生，并告知计划开展的活动如何有助于留住和毕业这些学生群体中更多的STEM专业学生。该项目的总体目标是提高来自经济困难农村社区的低收入、高成就本科生的STEM学位完成率。该项目的具体目标是：1)通过全面的财政支持促进STEM专业的学生入学、留住和成功；2)通过早期、有针对性和持续的学术和联合课程支持，大力推出一年级奖学金；3)通过队列建设和指导在学者中建立归属感；以及4)通过促进领导机会和基于现实世界客户的项目，鼓励职业准备。将调查批判性思维技能、自我效能感和对数学的看法，以评估早期支持框架的影响，该框架包括夏季桥牌计划、重新设想的第一年数学体验、持续的辅导和共同课程活动。此外，招聘和保留将通过比较申请者相对于招聘努力、数学课程成功率、在STEM专业的保留率、毕业率和相对于同行的就业安排来评估。将使用形成性和总结性评估的迭代过程进行年度项目评估。将汇编结果，并通过会议报告和出版物与更广泛的社区分享。该项目由NSF的科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金项目资助，该项目旨在增加在STEM领域获得学位的低收入学术天才学生的数量。它还旨在改善未来STEM工作者的教育，并产生关于低收入学生的学业成功、留住、转移、毕业和学术/职业道路的知识。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at Tennessee Technological University, a comprehensive institution drawing students from the rural Upper Cumberland region. Over its 6-year duration, this project will fund scholarships to 45 full-time undergraduate students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in biology, chemistry, Earth sciences, mathematics, or physics. First-year students will receive four years of scholarship support. In addition, the project aims to promote student entrance, retention, and success in STEM majors and careers by providing early, targeted, and continuing academic support to Scholars. Supports include early academic support through first-year math classes, multi-layered mentoring, regular cohort-building, undergraduate research, and career-based projects. Supports will occur throughout the Scholars’ tenure, starting with redesigned first-year math courses, as success in these courses is a major factor in retaining students in STEM. This project has potential to broaden participation of students from groups that have been underrepresented in STEM fields, including low-income and rural students, and to inform how planned activities aid in the retention and graduation of more STEM majors from this student population. The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion for low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need from economically distressed rural communities. The specific aims of the project are: 1) Promote student entrance, retention, and success in STEM majors through comprehensive financial support; 2) Provide a strong launch of first-year Scholars through early, targeted, and continuing academic and co- curricular support; 3) Establish a sense of belonging among Scholars through cohort-building and mentoring; and 4) Encourage career preparation by facilitating leadership opportunities and real-world client-based projects. Critical thinking skills, self-efficacy, and perceptions of mathematics will be investigated to assess the impact of an early support framework that includes a summer bridge program, re-envisioned first-year math experiences, on-going mentorship, and co-curricular activities. Additionally, recruitment and retention will be assessed through comparison of applicants relative to recruitment efforts, math course success rates, retention in STEM majors, graduation rates, and job placement relative to peers. Annual project evaluation will be conducted using an iterative process of formative and summative assessments. Results will be compiled and shared with the broader community through conference presentations and publications. This project is funded by NSF’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income students.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.